dave kopel

1 post

McDonald v. Chicago: Dave Kopel’s Brief

Dave Kopel has posted a brief in conjunction with the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). The argument is summed up in the first sentence: Guns save lives.

This one isn’t about the 14th Amendment at all.  Rather, it’s an ancillary brief written to underscore the point that firearms in the hands of citizens fulfill a useful purpose, and that bans such as the one in Chicago are not only ineffective but dangerous.

It occupies an important strategic position, since the counterargument will likely involve a plea for “interest balancing.”  Kopel’s research will serve as an effective bulwark against that.

The brief goes into great detail explaining why blood will not run in the streets if the Court incorporates the 2nd Amendment. Lots of charts, graphs and statistics prove the point, and it’s worth noting that the information in this one will be useful to 2nd Amendment advocates long after resolution of the case at hand.